Fletghee j



(No Model.)

F. J; McQUEBN.

GAR COUPLING. No. 379,177. Patented Mar. 6,18%.

Darren STATES PAT NT @rrica.

FLETCHER J. MCQUEEN, OF OCALA, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF I TO JAMES N. STROBHAR, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,177, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed August 2. 1887. Seria No. 245.964. (No model.)

To all whom 25 may concern.-

Be it known that I, FLETcHER'J. MCQUEEN, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Ocala, in the county of Marion and State ofFlorida, have invented new and useful Improvements in GarOouplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplings comprising a draw-bar having a hooked pin and an oscillating link operated by rack-and-pinion gearing, so that said link can be readily engaged with or disengaged from the hooked pin of the opposite draw-bar; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2' is a front elevation of the samewith eoupling-link lowered. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one drawbar provided with my improved coupling devices. Fig. 4 is aplan of the same. Fig. 5 is a view of the hooked coupling-pin.

Referring to the drawings, theletter A designates the body of a freight-car, and B an ordinary open-mouth draw-bar supported beneath thecar in any suitable or well-known manner. In the center of the draw-bar, back of the abutment a, is a longitudinal slot, 1), that extends entirely through the draw-bar from top to bottom. transversely in the draw-bar through the longitudinal slot 1), and on said shaft apinion, O, is securely mounted, as shown. The shaft 0 also carries a coupling link or bail, D, which is securely fastened to the projecting ends of said shalt on each side of the draw-bar.

The shaft 0 and attached pinion G are rotated to oscillate the-link D by means ofa rackbar, E, which is adapted to move vertically in the rear end of the slot 5, and thus raise or lower the link, as required. This rack-bar E has shoulders d d at or near its ends to limit its movements.

To the upper end of the raclcbar E is pivoted a lever, F,which is also pivoted to the end of the car and extends to one side to enable the coupling-to be operated without incurring any necessity of passing between the Cars.

A shaft, 0, is journaled openings ef,formed in the mouth of the drawbar at top and bottom,and the upper opening, f, is squared to fit a correspondinglysquared portion, 9, of the pin H, so as to prevent it from turning in the draw-bar when the link D is engaged with therearwardly-eurved hook h, that is formed on the upper end of the pin.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the draw-bars, either of the same or varying height, can be securely coupled by the engagement of the link D of one draw-bar with the hooked pin H of the opposite draw-bar; and it will be understood that the weight of the link,together with the weight of the levers F G, is sufficient to hold the link down to its engagement with the hooked pin, so that there will be no liability of accidental uncoupling through the jolting of the ears or by the concussion of contacting draw-bars in stopping or starting.

The arrangement of the pinion C and rackbar E in a central longitudinal slot, b, formed in'the body of the drawbar, serves to protect said pinion and rack from any liability of injury that would be incurred by locating them on the outside of the draw-bar.

It will be observed that this car-coupling mechanism is of such character that it will not interfere with the use of the ordinary link for connecting with another draw-bar having the ordinary link-andpin coupling, as it is only necessary to remove the pin Hto admit an ordinary link intothe mouth of the draw-bar. It will also be seen that with the ordinary link the bail D can be used as a link-raiser, if desired, so as to facilitate the coupling of cars having draw-bars of different heights when one is provided with the ordinary link-andpin coupling.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-bar having a vertical longitudinal slot, ashaft journaled transversely through said slot, a pinion secured to said shaft within the slot, a link fastened to the outer ends of the shaft, and a vertically-movable rack-bar 10- l cated in the rear end of the slot and meshing with the pinion to operate the link and engage it with or disengage it from a hooked pin on the opposite drawbar, substantially as described.

. 2. The combination of the open mouthed draw-bar B, having a vertical longitudinal slot, b, the shaft a, carrying an oscillating link, D, the hooked pin H, having a squared portion, 9, to prevent it from turning, the pinion G, secured to the shaft 0 within the slot I), and the vertically-n1ovable rack-bar E, to operate the pinion C and link D,\vhereby the link can be engaged with or disengaged from the hooked pin of the opposite drawbar, or the pins of said draw-bar be connected by an ordinary link, substantially as described.

F. J. MCQUEEN.

\Vitncsses:

Jos. L. OooMBs, J. A. RUTHERFORD. 

